Professional Counseling (BS/MA)

Marriage and Family Counseling (BS/MA)

Mission

The Marriage and Family Counseling major will provide training that will give entrylevel qualifications for opportunities in marriage and family counseling and state licensure.

Mental Health Counseling (BS/MA)

Mission

This degree program will provide training that will give entry-level qualifications for mental health counseling opportunities, state licensure and professional certification.

Analysis of Evidences

The professional programs in both Mental Health and Marriage and Family Counseling continue to be strong. The Counseling and Social Work Department has been reminded of the need to attract and accept “premier” students. In the past, students have been admitted to the program without a strong interview process or review and evaluation mechanism within the program. Consequently, once a student is admitted, there has not been a way to effectively evaluate and terminate enrollment if they do not possess the requisite skills necessary for success within the profession. We are currently in the process of developing revised admission procedures that will retain and graduate the best possible candidates. Field supervisors have indicated in post-placement reviews that although most students meet or exceed their expectations, they have had students that may not be appropriate for the field or would benefit from continued professional support prior to graduation. We are aware that not all students are well suited for both the art and science of counseling. To that end the revised procedures will help us to better educate students to be effective in both the church and society. In looking at new areas of program study, we have begun to develop a concentration in Counseling the Older Adult with the first course rolling out next academic year. According to the US Census statistics, Lancaster County PA has a large and increasing population of older adults. From July 2007 through July 2010 adults age 60-64 increased from 14.7 million to 17 million and adults age 65-69 increased from 10.9 million to 12.5 million. According to a 2007 Congressional report on aging, 12% of the US population is made up of adults age 65 or older. PA is ranked #5 in overall population data and #3 when the number of older adults is calculated as a percentage of the state’s population. Consequently, the need to train counselors to meet the growing needs of this population is evident. In scanning several local and regional colleges, no courses were found that addressed the unique needs of counseling the older adult, yet the American Psychological Association in 2009 submitted a report supporting the need for specialized training for the counselor who works with this population. This goal will be to develop a 4 course (12 credit) concentration in this area, with focused, supervised experience in a local nursing home facility.